Dining Well With Diabetes
by Marilyn Rosa-Bray, MD
If dining well with diabetes sounds like an oxymoron, think again. With a few modifications, it is possible to enjoy exquisite meals, whether in a restaurant with your sweetheart or at a dinner party in a friend’s home. Just remember to use the occasion to enjoy your company and beware of the urge to overindulge.
Managing diabetes requires unrelenting discipline, and dining on special occasions too often offers an excuse to lose control. Here are some ideas for those with diabetes to enjoy fine dining in a healthy way:
- Cook traditional special occasion meals with non-fat or low-fat substitutes.
- Watch your portions. You can still enjoy your favorite special occasion dishes; just be sure to serve yourself small amounts.
- Limit high-glycemic foods such as potatoes, breads, cake, cookies, rice, tortillas, and corn.
- Involve your family and friends in healthier eating. The diabetic diet is not only for diabetics: it is an excellent, balanced alternative for anyone.
- Spice it up. Add flavor without fat by incorporating fresh herbs, peppers, or garlic to special dishes.
- Entertain at home. For the most part, homemade meals are healthier. You can control which ingredients and how much to use.
- If you dine in a restaurant, remember that one meal usually represents two to three servings. Consider splitting an entrée with your dining partner.
- Control your side-dish decisions. You often have several selections to choose from. For instance, choose salad over French fries and ask for the dressing to be served on the side.
- Eat slowly. Take your time and enjoy your company. When you allow time for your stomach to “tell” your brain you are full, you'll avoid overeating.
- Keep your routine the same as much as you can, even on special occasions. Take your medications as prescribed. And don’t forget to exercise.
About Diabetes
Once you are diagnosed with diabetes, you begin a lifetime relationship with the disease. It is important to keep it under control to avoid its severe complications. Uncontrolled diabetes can cause blindness, kidney failure that requires dialysis, pain, amputations, heart attacks, and strokes, among others. However, with careful monitoring, tight control, medication, healthy eating habits, and exercise all this can be prevented.
Keep in mind that some of the early damage to the body is painless. Fasting sugar (glucose) levels higher than 120 mg/dl for a diabetic, and higher than 99 for a non-diabetic, have been shown to start causing irreversible damage in the body. If you are over 45, you should be tested yearly. If younger than 45, you also need to be tested yearly if you are overweight or have a family history of diabetes.
Dr. Rosa-Bray is board certified in internal medicine. She practices at Valley Medical Center’s Newcastle Medical Pavilion, 425.656.5428.
